Paraguay vs Argentina: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Argentina will return to their World Cup qualifying campaign with a trip to Paraguay late Thursday night.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

To begin with the hosts, Paraguay may have made headlines this summer for their humiliating record of losing all three of their Group D matches, but the Los Guaranies have seemingly discovered a secret weapon in the last few weeks. On Thursday night, Gustavo Alfaro's squad will return in action, competing for a spot in the playoffs.

They were last seen on October 16th, winning 2-1 at home against Venezuela. Paraguay has gone undefeated in all four of its World Cup qualifying matches thus far and scored a notable scalp in September. The midweek hosts will look for a similarly tenacious display after their incredible 1-0 victory against South American heavyweights Brazil.

Despite this, they have only managed a single victory in their past twelve matches against the defending champions, Argentina, after suffering a 1-0 loss in their most recent meeting thirteen months ago.

Regarding the guests, Argentina has just maintained its incredible purple patch, creating history in Qatar as the 2022 winner by claiming its first world championship since 1986. Returning to action on Thursday night with a three-point lead over the chase group, the South American giants were last seen storming to a 6-0 rout of Bolivia on October 16th.

Lionel Scaloni's squad will aim to put down another qualification marker here after being crowned Copa America winners over the summer with a nail-biting 1-0 victory against Colombia.

Argentina's national team has only lost two losses in the last two years, further solidifying its position as the world's leading international side. Having guided Argentina to a 1-0 victory against Paraguay in Buenos Aires thirteen months ago, the former West Ham defender will be predicting a similar performance on Thursday.

Paraguay x Argentina Team News

We will start with experienced goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez, who has just solidified his position as Paraguay's starting goalie. On Thursday night, Miguel Almorin, a 30-year-old star for Newcastle, will win his 63rd international cap. Miguel may be leaving St. James' Park in January.

Even though the Brighton teenager Julio Encisco has only started once in the Premier League since mid-September, he will be pivotal. Omar Alderete of Getafe will play with Paraguay captain Gustavo Gomez in the center of defense.

Argentina will be led by eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, who scored a hat trick against Bolivia to end the international break in October. Similarly, Emiliano Martinez, the goalkeeper for Aston Villa, will be back in the net midweek after serving a two-match ban last month.

Former Brighton star Alexis Mac Allister will start in the center of the field for Liverpool this season. It will play a pivotal part in their pursuit of the Premier League championship. The legendary Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United has been called up to Scaroni's team.

Our Predictions

Argentina to win @ 1.73 on Sky247.ng

As encouraging as Paraguay's progress in recent months has been, the hosts on Thursday should be ready for a tremendous test. Argentina, defeated 1-0 in last year's reverse qualification match against the defending world champions, will aim to increase their lead in the standings. The South American legends have lost only once in their last twelve games against Paraguay in all competitions, so we're taking them on the road to victory late Thursday night.

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